Search form

You are here

Bookmark/Search this post

USDA Announces $540,000 to Support People with Disabilities in Agriculture

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Media contact: Sally Gifford, 202-720-2047

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2017 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of $540,000 in funding for state and regional projects that provide education, assistive technology and other support to current and prospective farmers and ranchers with disabilities. Since 1991, NIFA’s AgrAbility program has helped thousands of individuals with disabilities, including older farmers and veterans, achieve success in agricultural occupations.

“Whether you are an experienced farmer facing mobility issues or a veteran starting a new career in agriculture, AgrAbility works with the Cooperative Extension System and nonprofit disability organizations to open doors to people with disabilities,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “The AgrAbility network gives health, farm and government service providers tools to provide greater access to the agricultural profession.”

This funding opportunity will support the development of new state and regional AgrAbility projects that help providers build their capacity to serve people with disabilities. Projects also directly provide assistance to people with disabilities. Eligible projects focus on the following:

Education – Projects help health, farm and government service providers develop or evaluate educational resources on accommodating disabilities and avoiding secondary injuries in persons with disabilities.

AgrAbility projects are competitively funded for four-year periods. Continued funding of a project is dependent on the availability of funds each year and the demonstration of satisfactory annual progress. All proposals include specific, measurable accomplishments for each project year. NIFA is currently funding 21 AgrAbility projects.

In the video The Next Mission, retired U.S. Marine Jon Turner describes how AgrAbility helped him transition into farming at Wild Roots Farm in Vermont. “I ended up linking with people in AgrAbility and that has been really wonderful because it’s not just working with veterans; it’s working with people with all types of disabilities and all types of backgrounds, and they’re all farming different things,” said Turner. “Now I’m in the process of developing a veterans regenerative agricultural program … to help them be involved in farming and gardening that also acts as horticultural therapy.”

NIFA invests in and advances innovative and transformative research, education and extension to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA's support of the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel has resulted in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that are combating childhood obesity, improving and sustaining rural economic growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food production, finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate variability and ensuring food safety.